15 [Make That 16] Uncanny Examples of the Golden Ratio in Nature

Snail shells and nautilus shells and follow the logarithmic spiral, as does the cochlea of the inner ear.

It can also be seen in the horns of certain goats, and the shape of certain spider's webs.

Not surprisingly, spiral galaxies also follow the familiar Fibonacci pattern. The Milky Way has several spiral arms, each of them a logarithmic spiral of about 12 degrees. As an interesting aside, spiral galaxies appear to defy Newtonian physics. As early as 1925, astronomers realized that, since the angular speed of rotation of the galactic disk varies with distance from the center, the radial arms should become curved as galaxies rotate. Subsequently, after a few rotations, spiral arms should start to wind around a galaxy. But they don't — hence the so-called winding problem. The stars on the outside, it would seem, move at a velocity higher than expected — a unique trait of the cosmos that helps preserve its shape. -- IO9

N.B.: Hurricanes also form in the Golden Spiral.

Posted by gerardvanderleun at December 22, 2015 9:52 AM